Makerere University Vice Chancellor Prof.Barnabas Nawangwe speaking at the Stakeholder Mobilisation Event on November 25th 2021. It was the first of many events that the university will host to mark its centennial journey.
“Our promise is that we are set for the next century of service to humanity,” said Makerere University Vice Chancellor, Prof Barnabas Nawangwe as the institution on Thursday 25th November 2021 kicked off a series of events to mark its centennial anniversary in October next year.
It’s a promise that Prof Nawangwe made to more than 100 stakeholders gathered in Freedom Square, Makerere. About other 150 stakeholders and alumni joined the event online through Zoom and YouTube live streaming. Hon. Dan Kidega, the chairperson Makerere@100 Organizing Committee and deputy Makerere University Council Chairperson thanked stakeholders for responding positively to the university invitation and urged them to keep up the spirit in the next series of activities.
But before making the promise, Prof Nawangwe recounted the university’s centennial journey. Makerere started in 1922 as a technical school teaching carpentry and masonry, he said. Then, it became a college. In 1924, medicine, agriculture and teacher training courses were introduced. At the time, students were learning from grass thatched classrooms.
Within a decade, as the colonial government became cognisant of the impact the college was having, they agreed that more investment was needed. Thus, the 1930s and 1940s were decades of massive expansion. The colonial government turned to Buganda Kingdom requesting for land to expand the university but all kingdom officials were hesitant to give out land, except then Katikiro Martin Lurther Nsibirwa. And his decision to grant Makerere land led to his assassination in 1945. “Nsibirwa signed a document which allowed colonial government to annex land in public interest” Prof. Nawangwe said. “Katikiro was eventually assassinated for that decision on the steps of Namirembe Cathedral where he had gone to pray.”
In a period of rapid expansion that followed, Prof. Nawangwe noted that the colonial government solicited money from the 18 districts that made up Uganda at the time, each contributing a minimum 0f 2,500 pounds for infrastructure development of Makerere. After this expansion and its affiliation to the University of London, Makerere attracted more students from across the continent. These became catalysts of change and played a crucial role in shaping their home countries after independence in the 1950s and 1960s.
Shaping African Leaders
To illustrate Makerere’s influence across the continent, Makerere University Council Chairperson Lorna Magara, quoted Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o– a prominent university alumnus– review of Carol Sicherman’s book; Becoming an African University: Makerere 1922-2000.
“In its various manifestations in time Makerere University is inseparable from a certain sense of applied Pan-Africanism,” Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o noted in the review as quoted by Lorna Magara. “In its heyday, it brought together students from East and Central Africa and Nigeria. But the story of Makerere in terms of the glorious and the gory, hope and despair and hope again, is really the story of Africa.”
Government Chief Whip Hon. Thomas Tayebwa also highlighted Makerere’s role in training post-independence Africa leaders. “If you go to Ghana, Tanzania, Zambia, among other countries, you will find that people who were running governments after independence were Makerere alumni,” he said. Through literature, Makerere alumni such as Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o, Tayebwa said shaped the minds of Africans not only to fight for independence but also prepared them for post independence leadership.
Lorna Magara said Makerere@100 organising committee through its history, culture and future documentation sub-committee has embarked on a book project to document the university’s history. The book will have themes on how Makerere has provided skilled human resources for East African society, has contributed knowledge through research and innovation, contributed to democratic governance and the building of social institutions in East Africa, contributed to the economic development of East Africa, contributed to curriculum development in East Africa and the challenges it has faced and continues to face.
Research and innovation
Prof. Nawangwe said the university has produced cutting edge research and technology such as the electric car—the first on the continent, tuberculosis rapid testing kit which is used globally, the anti-tick vaccines which is undergoing mass production among others. He said the university has produced more than 200 innovations during the pandemic.
Hon. Thomas Tayebwa challenged the university to do more research that can help the government to transform Uganda by bringing more people in the money economy. He pledged more research and innovation funding from the government.
Makerere, Prof Nawangwe said, is ready for the challenge. “We will leverage our successes of the past to solve new societal problems,” he said.
In a vibrant celebration of youth leadership and African unity, Makerere University hosted the Second Annual Guild Leaders’ Summit, an event that brought together high-profile dignitaries, student leaders, and international partners for a powerful dialogue on the future of the continent. The summit, organized by the Guild Presidents Leadership Academy, served as a rallying point for East Africa’s young leaders to confront Africa’s most urgent challenges—on their own terms and with their own solutions.
A Warm Welcome and Reflections on Makerere’s Legacy
The Vice Chancellor, Professor Barnabas Nawangwe, welcomed the distinguished guests, who included Former President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya, Uganda’s Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo, former Prime Minister Rt. Hon. Ruhakana Rugunda, Justice Simon Byabakama, Hon. Mathew Rukikaire, and European Union Deputy Ambassador Mr. Guillaume Chartrain, among others.
In his address, Prof. Nawangwe reflected on Makerere’s deep historical ties to East Africa’s liberation and development movements. He reminded the audience that Makerere University has been a crucible for the continent’s leadership, stating:
“Jomo Kenyatta was the first person to receive a degree from Makerere when, in 1963, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by then Chancellor Julius Nyerere. All freedom fighters in East Africa studied at Makerere.”
H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta is received upon arrival at Makerere University by the Vice Chancellor, Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe.
Building on this rich history, Prof. Nawangwe affirmed the university’s current mission to tackle pressing continental issues. “Today,” he said, “Makerere is committed to addressing Africa’s challenges—climate change, disease, poverty, food security, conflict resolution, and economic development. But we cannot do this alone.”
He echoed sentiments later shared by the keynote speaker, stressing that Africa must no longer depend on external interventions:
“Foreign agencies will not solve all Africa’s problems. It is our young people who must step forward and lead the change.”
Uhuru Kenyatta: “You Are the Last Line of Defence”
In a keynote address that resonated deeply with the students and delegates in attendance, Former President Uhuru Kenyatta issued a bold and urgent call to action for Africa’s youth.
“No one is coming to save us,” Kenyatta declared. “You are the last line of defence in the battle to rescue the heart and soul of Africa.”
H.E. Uhuru Kenyatta (2nd Right) poses for a group photo during the courtesy call on the Vice Chancellor with Left to Right: Prof. Barnabas Nawangwe, Ms. Sarah Kagingo and Guild President-H.E. Churchill James Ssentamu.
Positioning today’s youth as the heirs of the continent’s freedom fighters, Kenyatta described the current moment as a new “independence era”—not of political liberation, but of economic and intellectual sovereignty. He urged students to think critically about intra-African trade, which currently accounts for less than 2.5% of global commerce, and to advocate for the removal of internal barriers to trade, innovation, and mobility.
“You are the freedom fighters of this generation,” he said. “Universities must be incubators of change, and students must be the trustees of tomorrow’s Africa.”
Pan-Africanism, Leadership, and Action
Uganda’s Vice President H.E. Jessica Alupo encouraged students to take up the mantle of Pan-Africanism with unwavering commitment. She acknowledged that while the rhetoric of African unity is inspiring, real progress demands more than words:
Left to Right: The Vice President-H.E. Jessica Alupo, Prime Minister Emeritus-Hon. Dr. Ruhakana Rugunda, Hon. Matthew Rukikaire and other dignitaries follow proceedings.
“You must embrace the spirit of Pan-Africanism. But it is easy to say these words—the challenge lies in collective implementation.”
She emphasized the importance of action-oriented leadership and urged the youth to harness their creativity, energy, and education for the benefit of the continent.
European Union’s Message: Leadership with Integrity
Representing Team Europe, the EU Deputy Ambassador to Uganda, Mr. Guillaume Chartrain, gave a passionate speech on the values of authentic leadership, integrity, and inclusive development. He praised Makerere University as a space where “intellectual ambition meets civic responsibility” and emphasized that leadership is not about prestige, but purpose:
“Be a leader because of what you want to be—not because of what you want to have,” he said.
Citing former Makerere alumni such as Julius Nyerere and Wangari Maathai, Chartrain called on students to model courage, resilience, and humility:
“True leadership emerges in moments of loss—when resilience, not triumph, becomes the measure of one’s character.”
The EU, he said, remains committed to supporting youth through programs like Erasmus+, the EU Youth Sounding Board, and partnerships with organizations like Faraja Africa Foundation and Restless Development. These initiatives empower youth not as symbols, but as active participants in shaping policy and governance.
The Legacy Continues
Throughout the summit, speakers highlighted the importance of legacy and long-term impact. They challenged young leaders to think not just about the present, but about the systems and institutions they will leave behind. In the words of Former President Kenyatta:
“Leadership is not about the next election. It’s about the next generation.”
The summit ended on a high note, with students invigorated and inspired to lead with purpose. As global support grows less predictable and Africa stands at a crossroads, the message from Makerere was clear: the future of the continent is in the hands of its youth. And as the Guild Leaders’ Summit demonstrated, they are ready.
The Office of Academic Registrar, Makerere University has released lists of Diploma holders admitted under the Government Sponsorship Scheme for the Academic Year 2025/2026.
Under the Diploma Holders Government Sponsorship Scheme admission does not exceed 5% of the intake capacity to the respective Degree Programme.
The list can be accessed by following the link below:
Are you a researcher or student working in protein-related research, structural biology, or bioinformatics?
The African Center of Excellence in Bioinformatics and Data Intensive Sciences (ACE) Uganda with support from Google DeepMind, invites researchers and students seeking to integrate AlphaFold into their work to apply for the AlphaFold Workshop to be held at the Infectious Diseases Institute, Makerere University-Kampala, Uganda from 16th to 20th June 2025.